Air cleaner and humidifier



Sept. 19, 1950 G. J. SMART 2,522,805

AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 29, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l I u uentar Glenn J. Smart Patented Sept. 19, 1950" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CLEANER AND nmvumr'ma Glenn J. Smart, Lander, Wyn. Application August 29, 1949, Serial No. 112,873

9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for humidifying the air drawn into internal combustion engines for fuel combustion purposes, and pertains more particularly to a device of such character wherein the h'umidification is facilitated by fluctuations in the intake manifold pressure.

The primary object of the invention is to improve the fuel combustion characteristics of internal combustion engines whereby higher compression ratios are attainable with a given fuel, or fuels oi relatively low octane rating may be used in engines having a high compression ratio.

Another important object of the invention is to prevent the scoring of engine cylinder walls and the fouling of engine lubricants.

A meritorious feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means whereby fluctuations in intake manifold pressure are utilized to humidity the air being indrawn into the engine.

A final important feature to be specifically enumerated herein resides in the means provided for the intimate association of the air and liquid, and the compactness of said means; hence the high volumetric emciency of the device.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of asuitable embodiment of the present invention, showing the same applied to a conventional automobile engine;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the mixing device taken substantially on the plane of the broken section line 2--2 of Figure 3; and, Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the mixing device shown in Figure 2, being taken substantially upon the plane of the section line 3-3 of Figure 2, with fragmentary parts being shown in the top .plan to show the discharge opening.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings wherein the like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the numeral l designates a conventional internal combustion englne generally.

The engine I8 includes an exhaust manifold I2, intake manifold l4, and a conventional car- 53 2 I buretor 16 having an upstanding inlet pipe It to which the illustrated embodiment of mixing device is adapted to be removably attached in lieu of the customary air filter, not shown.

The mixing deviceindicated generally by the numeral 2|! preferably comprises a casing formed of cylindrical side wall 22 and an integral bottom 24. The casing is closed at the top by a domed cap 26. A sleeve 28 extends upwardly through the bottom of the casing defining a liquid receiving chamber 30 therebetween, which is closed at the top by a top partition 32. The sleeve 28 is adapted to be secured to the pipe I8 as by clamp 33.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the top partition 32 is provided with a central opening 34 through which the sleeve 28 communicates with the space 35 between the cap 26 and the partition 32, The opening 34 is bounded by a depending annular flange 38 which is received in the upper end of the sleeve 28 and serves to center the same. In the preferred construction, the flange 38 fits the sleeve 28 closely but is slidable therein, and the partition 32 is suitably secured to the cap 26 as at 40, with the partition edges seated within the wall 22. This arrangement permits ready access to the interior of mixing device 28.

An air inlet for the casing comprises an opening 42 near the upper edge of the wall 22, through which a liquid may also be conveniently poured by means of a chute that has a bottom 44 and side walls 46. It is to be noted that the bottom 44 is shaped so that it can be used conveniently to auge the level of a liquid in the mixing device.

An air outlet or discharge opening 48, see Figure 3, from the chamber 30'-'is provided in the partition 32. Thus far it will be seen that the air entering the opening 42 into the chamber 30 will proceed through the opening 48 to the space 36, thence out the sleeve 28 into the pipe l8.

. Means is provided to compel the air to follow a tortuous path through the chamber, which comprises a. vertical chamber partition 50 disposed between the openings 42 and 48, radial baffles 52 on one side of the wall 22, and radial baffles on the sleeve 28. The baflles 54 being alternately spaced with the battles 52. It will be readily seen that the baffles 52 and 54 in conjunction with the partition 50 compel air flowing through the mixing device to follow the tortuous path indicated by the flow arrows 58 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The purpose of causing the air to follow a tortuous path through the device 20 is to bring the air into intimate contact with a liquid. Therefore, means is provided to intercept the moving air at frequent intervals. These means comprise foragninous sheets which possess considerable capillary properties such as cheese cloth, which would be merely representative of a large class of suitable materials, but which is illustrated in the drawings as screens 58. The screens 58 connect the outer ends of the flanges 52 and 54 on across the chamber 30 to the correlative sleeve 28 or wall 22. Therefore, it will be obvious that when the chamber 30 is partially filled with a liquid the air will move through a series of screens 58 that are moist. The screens 58 being moist in a manner analogous to a wick with one end in a liquid. It is to be noted that metallic screens may be used to back up and make usabe in this device certain for-aminous materials that in themselves would otherwise be too intrinsically weak; also it should be noted that the air, in addition to picking up vapors, will be cleaned in passing through the screens 58.

A further and equaly important means is provided to charge the air with the liquid. This means being intended not only to charge the air with the vapors of the liquid, but with an entrained mist of the liquid. These means comprise spray nozzles 60 suitably secured in the wall 22' which are connected by conduits 62 and 54 to the outlet port of a pump indicated generally by the numeral 66, which may be of the vacuum operated piston type. The inlet port of the pump 85 is in turn connected by suitable conduit '68 to the lower portion of the chamber 30. The pump 66 may convenientl comprise any of the numerous types of pumps that are actuated by fluctuations in pressure, and does not in its structure form the subject matter of this invention. The pump 55 is operatively connected to the intake manifold M as at I0, whereby variations in intake manifold pressure actuates the pump 66 to spray liquid from the nozzles 60.

As well known in the art, a cold fuel mixture, or especially one that carries entrained water droplets will decidedy depress the detonation characteristic of the fuel mixture. This inventioz both cools and-provides for the entrainment of droplets of water. The humidification of the cools it, while the nozzles 60 inject the mist of water.

It is contemplated that the present invention can be employed in the winter time as well as in the summer. In winter it would be necessary to mix some suitable combustible organic compound with water to lower the freezing point of the same if liquid entrainment is desired. Of course, the nozzles 60 could be shut off or shifted to a remote position from the opening 48 and an inorganic compound such as sodium chloride used to prevent the water freezing.

It will be understood that since this invention pertains to the humidifying of air and since this process coos air, it is contemplated that the present invention will find utility in conditioning air for the passenger compartments of vehicles or the like, and possibly other structures such as trailer cabins, or other building structures.

A very useful result of and function of the device disclosed is that the rate of formation of mist is directly proportional to the rate of fluctuation of intake manifold pressure, so that when the throttle is manipulated rapidly the resultant rate in fluctuation of manifold pressure efiects a relatively higher rate 'of mist generation, this harmonizing with the simultaneous action of the carburetor accelerating pump and its increased fuel supply.

From the foregoing, the construction and peration of the device will be readily apparent,

and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art. after a consideration of the foregoing l specification and the accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the appended claims. Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: V

1. A humidifier for internal combustion engines having an intake manifold; comprising an air and liquid mixing, device with an outlet connected to the intake manifold, means comprising a liquid receiving chamber in said device, means for introducing air into said chamber into contact with the liquid therein and into said outlet, and means operable by pulsation in the intake manifold of the engine for forming and maintaining a liquid mist in said chamber for commingling with the air.

2. The combination of claim 1 whereinsaid device comprises a casing, a sleeve in said casing defining said outlet, the space between the casing and the sleeve defining said chamber, said second means comprising a top partition in said casing, said sleeve extending through said partition communicating with the space above said partition, said partition having an outlet opening for discharging humidified air from said chamber to the space above said partition, and said casing having an inlet opening for air to enter said chamber. 40 I 3. The combination of claim 2 including a chamber partition disposed between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and two series of interdigitated radial baflies a ternately extending from the casing and the sleeve into the chamber for tortuous movement of air through said chamber.

4. The combination of claim 3 including two series of radial screens alternately extending from the casing and the sleeve, and each of said series being connected to one of said baflles.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said last means includes a spray nozzle in said chamber, conduit means connecting said nozzle and a source of liquid, 8. pressure actuated pump in said conduit for forcing liquid through said nozzle, and means operatively connecting said pump to the intake manifold for pump actuation.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said last means includes a spray nozzle in said chamber, conduit means connecting said nozzles and a source of liquid, a pressure actuated pump in said conduit for forcing liquid through said nozzle, and means operatively connecting said pump to the intake manifold for pump actuation, said 05 device including a casing, a sleeve in said casing defining said outlet, the space between said casing and the sleeve defining said chamber, said second means comprising a top partition in said casing, the sleeve extending through said partition communicating with the space above said partition, said partition having an outlet opening for discharging humidified air from said chamber to the space above said partition, and said casing having an inlet opening for air to enter said chamber.

6 the intake manifold, means comprising a liquid receiving chamber in said device, means for introducing air into said chamber into contact with the liquid therein and into said outlet, and means operable by fluctuations in the intake manifold pressure of the engine for forming a liquid mist in said chamber at a rate directly proportional to the rate of fluctuation of intake manifold pressure for commingling with the air.

GLENN J. SMART.

No references cited. 

